New Delhi. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a key accused in an alleged transnational cyber-financial fraud case involving illegal call centres operating in Gujarat and targeting US citizens. According to the investigating agency, the alleged network defrauded US nationals of more than USD 7.21 million over the past two years. The amount is equivalent to more than ₹69.11 crore.
According to the CBI, the arrested accused has been identified as Ankit Satishchandra Pandey. He was arrested on September 23. The agency has alleged that Pandey played a key role in establishing and operating the illegal call centre. The arrest was made on the basis of evidence gathered during the investigation.
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The investigating agency said the accused and his associates contacted US citizens through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications. During the conversations, they allegedly impersonated officials of US federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the US Attorney’s Office and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
The victims were allegedly told that their identities had been used by someone else to access child pornography through their computer systems. By making such serious allegations, the accused allegedly created fear of arrest and legal action among the victims. The investigation indicates that the threats were allegedly used to pressure victims into following the instructions of the fraudsters.
According to the CBI, the victims were subsequently asked to withdraw money from their bank accounts. They were then allegedly instructed or pressured to use the money to purchase gold. The gold was allegedly handed over to courier persons arranged by the accused in the United States.
The investigating agency has alleged that, through this method, several US citizens were targeted and defrauded of more than USD 7.21 million in total. The investigation is continuing to establish the full amount allegedly defrauded, the number of victims and the role of other individuals connected with the network.
The CBI also conducted searches at multiple locations in Ahmedabad linked to the accused. During the searches, officials seized several electronic devices that allegedly contained digital evidence. The devices and the data recovered from them are being examined to trace the operation of the call centre, communications with victims, financial transactions and links to other members of the alleged network.
The case is also focused on a form of transnational cyber-financial fraud in which criminals allegedly impersonate officials of government agencies to intimidate foreign nationals. The victims are then allegedly persuaded or pressured to withdraw money from their bank accounts, purchase valuable assets such as gold and hand them over to individuals presented as representatives of the fraudsters.
The CBI is examining the digital evidence recovered from the seized electronic devices along with financial records. Investigators are also trying to determine how many people were involved in the alleged illegal call centre operations in Gujarat and how the operation was connected to the network that allegedly collected money or gold from victims in the United States.
The investigation will also examine the financial trail and communications associated with the alleged fraud. The agency is expected to determine the wider structure of the network and the respective roles of individuals allegedly involved in the operation.
Following the arrest of Ankit Satishchandra Pandey, further action in the case will depend on the evidence gathered during the ongoing investigation. The CBI has said that its probe into the allegations against the accused and other persons allegedly connected with the network is continuing.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
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